CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 37 BAMBOO SHOOTS_3

Pour in dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce in succession, Du Xixi never stopping her stirring motion. Seeing the bamboo shoots change color from light red to deep red, she added an appropriate amount of boiling water, covered the pot, and began to let it simmer.

Although it was called "oil-braised bamboo shoots," Du Xixi’s version did not use a single drop of oil. The oiliness came entirely from the bamboo shoots’ own fats, mixed with sweet syrup, coating them in a "shiny" layer.

She picked up several more jade-white bamboo shoots, slicing two into strips and two into slices. By the time the oil-braised bamboo shoots were finished simmering, Du Xixi had also mixed the cold bamboo shoot salad.

The bamboo shoot strips, combined with sesame oil and vegetable strips, gave off a unique, earthy aroma, different from the "fake sheen" of the oil-braised version. The shininess of the cold salad came from Du Xixi’s specially-made sesame oil.

Du Xixi had 2569 and the Rob help pack the cold bamboo shoot salad and oil-braised bamboo shoots into airtight thermal boxes. She picked up the sliced meat and bamboo slices and swiftly and meticulously cooked a simple stir-fry of bamboo shoots and meat.

The three bamboo-based dishes emitted an enticing aroma, practically luring people to taste them. Unfortunately, Du Xixi was solely focused on delivering them for the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor to try, with no interest in tasting them herself. Rob and 2569 couldn’t even smell them, so their enticing aroma had no use.

However, once they were personally delivered by Rob to the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor, the aroma ultimately served its purpose.

The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor personally greeted them at the spaceship station. The Iron-Eating Beast Empire’s station was even simpler than CD-0329 Star’s. Even though it was Rob’s second visit here, it couldn’t help but marvel in its mecha heart: To be as poor as the Iron-Eating Beast Empire is quite a miracle.

The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor no longer had the little black and white furballs hanging on him. Presumably, he left them at home for fear they would be a nuisance, coming alone to greet them.

"Mr. Rob," the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor showed great respect towards Rob, being Chen Yin’s personal bodyguard and the esteemed Blue Star Empire Imperial Guard Captain. The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor considered himself inferior to Rob.

However, Rob was programmed with etiquette protocols, knowing the towering Iron-Eating Beast in front of it was the Emperor of the Iron-Eating Beast Empire. It couldn’t be dismissive, especially since its mistress respected him greatly. Rob naturally lowered its stance, bowing first.

"Iron-Eating Beast Emperor, long time no see, I have ventured here uninvited to present you with a gift on behalf of my mistress." Rob handed the box over to the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor with a respectful tone, not daring to offend, only rising after the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor accepted the box.

The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor, upon receiving the box, felt his entire iron-eating beast heart fill with joy. However, being accustomed to cautious behavior, he immediately picked out how Rob referred to Du Xixi.

It called her... my young lady!?

The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor’s joy was suddenly mixed with disbelief. He knew Rob was hand-designed and made by Chen Yin, who even bestowed Rob with his childhood nickname, implying Rob was a mecha Chen Yin truly trusted and valued.

Not merely one among others.

Moreover, it was well-known that the Blue Star Empire’s Imperial Guard Captain Rob only served Chen Yin as its master. Now Rob referred to Du Xixi as "young lady," implying "one of us" in every word.

Could it be... that the Marshal’s Wife and Chen Yin have some unknown relationship?

The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor was incredibly curious and, liking both Chen Yin and Du Xixi, hesitated before subtly probing, "That day at the National Day ceremony, the Marshal’s Wife and the Blue Star Empire Emperor appeared to get along quite well."

This sentence seemed simple, as if a mere sentiment from the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor, but Rob immediately recognized it as probing. However, it wasn’t offended on behalf of its masters. After all, Chen Yin and Du Xixi never intended to hide their relationship from anyone.

Frankly, Chen Yin himself would be more than happy for the world to know Du Xixi was his sister!

Rob displayed a programmatically-generated polite smile, "Your Majesty might not know, my master and Miss Xi Xi were very close as children, recognizing each other as siblings and still maintaining contact."

This was a pretext mutually agreed upon by Chen Yin and Du Xixi. It was acceptable that a few officials of significant rank and Marshal Ke Lian were aware of Chen Yin’s visit to Blue Star and Du Xixi’s origins there, but spreading this to unrelated people would be needless trouble.

The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor was even more shocked. He had speculated on Du Xixi and Chen Yin’s good relationship, assuming Marshal Ke Lian played the matchmaker, not expecting it to be unrelated to Ke Lian, but rather from Du Xixi and Chen Yin’s childhood bond!

"A lady as fine as the Madam, being siblings with His Majesty Chen Yin, is most fitting," remarked the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor, not seeing anyone as superior or inferior between Du Xixi and Chen Yin, instead feeling their relationship was wonderfully equal.

When Iron-Eating Beasts take a liking to someone, they find everything about that person good.

Iron-Eating Beast Emperor: Haha! That’s just how principle-less we are!